5. Violette Szabo

VioletteSzabo.org

Country of birth: FranceCountry of allegiance: England, France

Violette Szabo’s bravery, beauty, and tragically short life have contributed to her legend (and even inspired a video game for the Xbox 360, Velvet Assassin). As a secret agent for the Special Operations Executive in England, her missions in occupied France ranged from intelligence-gathering to sabotage.

Shortly after D-Day, she was captured by German troops following an intense gun battle during which Szabo emptied every clip of ammunition she had. Brought to Ravensbruck concentration camp, her open defiance inspired fellow prisoners and led to her execution in 1945, at just 23 years old.